Customer Reviews

Live From Hell

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sam Kinison was, and always will be, a comedic genius. He traveled where others feared. He said things that made everybody laugh and cringe at the same time. You would be laughing one minute and then thinking "what is wrong with me??" the next. That's the kind of effect he had on you, no doubt about it. And many of his fans will tell you the same thing. Sam Kinison's "Live from Hell" is a comedy gold and a classic to love.

Now, they have issued a re-mastered version of the album, which sounds a lot better than the older one. And, now the tracks are separated instead of the entire act being on one track (as the first edition was). This is a major plus, because sometimes you just need a quick fix and don't have time to listen to the entire album, and it's annoying to forward through the entire disk until you get to the bit you want to hear. Still, it's always best to hear the album in its complete entirety.

Sam talks about it all. From Pee-Wee Herman to Joan Rivers; from the Space Race to the first Gulf War; from pawnshops to the smart bomb; and there's so much more. His material was edgy, controversial, and risky. This is why we loved the man so much. He was clearly original, as there will never be an equal.

My favorite bits are "I missed the Joan River's Show," "Sammy's Pawnshop," "J.F.K.," "100 hour war," "Sam's Tirade," "the homeless," and "Cable TV." They're all good and hilarious, but those are the ones that stick out the most to me.

Sam Kinison was, and still is, a genius when it came to comedy. He dished it out like nobody else could. "Live from Hell" is Sam at his best. If you are a fan and have not checked out the album yet, get your hands on a copy as soon as you can. This album is bound to stay in your stereo for weeks.

Sam returns to his roots in a Texas comedy club in this posthumous release. Shedding some of the trappings as the 'King of the Comedy Outlaws' he tries to get in touch with his earlier comedy performances but never finds himself completely. Sure, there are some great moments including reflections on Desert Storm, Smart Bombs and the Gay Terminator but his material strays once in a while and isn't as funny as it could be. Granted, the last segment leaves me in tears from laughter (though I won't go into details on the topic for the sake of good form). While normally I would score this with three stars, this final release deserves recognition as Sam Kinison's swan song. The final words heard on the recording serve as a reminder, a fading fan crying out, "Sam, Where are you! " I wonder sometimes where he is myself. If you consider the laughter he brought to millions you can only hope that it outweighs some of the kharma incurred by his chosen subject matter. In the meantime, go ahead and purchase this CD. I think it's worth the expense.

This was Kinison's final comic album prior to his untimely death in 1992. I'm guessing that he recorded this performance shortly before his death, as it contains many references to events of the early 1990s, most notably the Gulf War. In the opening piece, Kinison talks about how he was vilified for missing an appearance on the Joan Rivers show, and he compares himself to other entertainers whose sins have clearly exceeded his own (eg, Pee Wee Herman). This is funny stuff, although some of the references are quite a bit dated, especially the ongoing belittling of the Russians/Kurds. And as usual, Kinison can get pretty gross at times, but unlike many comedians before and since, his material is always more funny than it is raunchy. This album may not be quite as good as Kinison's earlier releases, yet it is still a must-have for his fans, as it is a small piece of the hilarity which remains from a comic genius who was taken from us much too soon.

I am buying this CD again, because the original got lost in a move. It's the kind of CD that you pull quotes from over the years to entertain your friends! :-) I would also highly recommend Louder than Hell and Have You Seen Me Lately?

Nah....he only likes to do his funniest work about our fear's and woes....in reality Sam Kinison was a true Christian,and I hope God had a great sense of humor.

You think he really wanted to be Captain Kangaroo? You think he wanted to be Captain f***in Kangaroo for fifty years? FIFTY F'in YEARS.He was always so deppressed "Hi kids, we got a good show for you today." Remember that haircut? Those F****IN MUTTON CHOPS!? You know when he got home every night his wife would have something to say. "YOU'RE NOT A REAL ACTOR, YOU LOOOOSER!!! LOOK AT YOU, YOU'RE A LOOOOOOOSER!!!!"

Oh man, I'm making an ass of myself at work because all of the reveiws for this CD have lines from the stand up, and they are all making me lose control, I'm cracking up here. The one about Jeffrey Dalmer, the one about the Turks. The one about building a McDonalds in Russia. I gotta stop reading this. I won't reveal the bits in my review, I wouldn't want YOU to make such an ass of yourself, if you are sitting at a desk, with all those lame-o's looking at you. HAVEN'T THEY EVER HEARD OF SAM KINISON?!! I'M IN HELL!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
Get this. All of his CDs are friggin' awesome
I've laughed a million times over to this one, its the BEST!

Sam Kinison, this is FUNNY AS HELL! Live From Hell is funny, I remember watching Sam on his HBO comedy specials a long time ago, and when I FINALLY got this album, I laughed my ass off! Sam touches on everything on this album; Arnold sucking d*ck, the homeless "Execute the homeless! SHOOT THEM!" the Kurd's "Hey I know, why don't we cross the hill and cross the bridge where there is no food and no place to take care of our kids. Ahaahah. I love that commercial 'Why don't you help the Kurd's?' yeah why don't you b**w me?" from Rap "I brought one rap tape, just to be fair, I brought 2 Live Crew's Nasty As We Wanna Be. There was one song on there called 'Suck my D**k' another one was called 'Get The f*ck Out Of My House'" Also he talks about the Joan River's show, he talks about BJ (guys, you know what I am talking about) and also the 100 hour war...so I'll give you some advice, GET THIS ALBUM!!!

...because I split my sides laughing so hard. Sam Kinison is the funniest S.O.B. to grace God's green earth. compare him to other comedians. Jeff Foxworthy: that redneck crap is getting long in the tooth. he's too clean. Larry The Cable Guy: Get-R-Done and get off the stage. he's too clean. I can listen to this Kinison CD over and over again and still bust my guts laughing. it is so funny when he shouts when he's doing his bit in a skit called "Pee Trough" and he starts talking about Jeffery Dahmer and he says "WILL SOMEONE CALL 9-1-1? WILL SOMEONE CALL 9-1-1? JESUS GOD! HE'S LOOKING AT MY A** AS IF IT'S A SPARE RIB. HE'S ABOUT TO TURN MY A** INTO A BUTT STEAK. WILL SOMEONE CALL 911?" I can't help but laugh. I wish he was still alive.

Its really good, If you wanna know why, Look at the other reviews, But I gave it 4 stars because ITS ALL ON ONE TRACK! you cant switch to a different part. But it is really funny.

I don't think the other people reviewing this album really listened to it. Compared to 'Louder Than Hell', it's a rank recording, but as always, Sam does have his moments. Too often he slips into his 'Leader of the Banned' persona and forgets the wit of his earlier recordings. Bonus star for NOT including any music on this album.